Various Artists - NOW Yearbook Presents - The 60s - Volume 1 : 1960-1962 [4CD]

Format: 4 x CD
Catalogue No.: CDYBNOW601
Barcode: 198029413120
Release Date: 21 Nov 2025
Genre: Pop

Step back to the dawn of the 1960s – an era of rock ’n’ roll, classic pop, timeless ballads and the birth of soul. NOW Yearbook Presents – The 60s – Volume 1: 1960–1962 features 87 unforgettable tracks across 4 CDs.
CD1 kicks off in style with The Everly Brothers and their 7-week chart-topper ‘Cathy’s Clown’ ahead of two more true legends, Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley. Cliff, along with The Shadows on ‘The Young Ones’ from 1962, and Elvis with his fifth #1 ‘It’s Now Or Never’ from 1960. Evergreen pop gems from Bobby Darin, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and Chris Montez are up next along with floor-fillers 1962-style from Little Eva with ‘The Locomotion’ and Chubby Checker with ‘Let’s Twist Again’ – both reaching #2. Rock ‘n’ Roll influenced hits from Dion, Del Shannon and Susan Maughan lead into the 1961 #1 ‘Walkin’ Back To Happiness’ from Helen Shapiro and then to a run of jukebox gold from Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Billy Fury, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, Bruce Channel and the US #1 ‘Duke Of Earl’ from Gene Chandler. Brian Hyland’s #3 ‘Sealed With A Kiss’ comes ahead of a trio of superb ballads closing the first disc: Roy Orbison’s chart debut and #1 ‘Only The Lonely’, Bobby Vee with ‘More Than I Can Say’ and the timeless and beautiful ‘True Love Ways’ from Buddy Holly.
 
Disc 2 opens with a stellar run of early ‘60s soul classics; ‘Stand By Me’ by Ben E. King which finally became a UK #1 26 years after its original chart run, Dionne Warwick made her debut with the sophisticated ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ and The Drifters hit #2 with ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’, along with US chart-topper ‘Please Mr Postman’ from The Marvelettes, and The Crystals with ‘He’s A Rebel’. Pop nuggets from Shelley Fabares, Connie Francis and Brenda Lee lead to #1s from The Shadows and Frank Ifield. Easy-listening gems are up next from Bobby Vinton, Matt Monro, and the classic instrumental ‘Theme From “A Summer Place”’ from Percy Faith & His Orchestra and the #1 ‘Moon River’ (from “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”) by Danny Williams. Closing the disc are enduringly popular jazz-infused singles from Dinah Washington with ‘Mad About The Boy’ and ‘At Last’ from Etta James.
 
The third disc dances into life with second appearances on this collection from Chubby Checker (celebrating the craze ‘The Twist’), Dion and Bobby Vee. Eddie Cochran hit the top with ‘Three Steps To Heaven’ in June 1960, and a month later Cliff Richard & The Shadows did the same with ‘Please Don’t Tease’ whilst a month after that ‘Shakin’ All Over’ from Johnny Kidd & The Pirates also reached the summit. Next up, more rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop #1s from The Marcels and Emile Ford & The Checkmates, plus #1 pop smashes from Ricky Valance and another from Elvis Presley. Top 5 hits from Connie Francis, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Karl Denver, Jimmy Jones and Joe Brown & The Bruvvers lead into a run of #1s that close this disc: Adam Faith with ‘Poor Me’ from 1960, Mike Sarne with ‘Come Outside’ featuring guest vocals from ‘Are You Being Served’/’Eastenders’ actress Wendy Richard, #1 in 1962 and Lonnie Donegan & His Group with the 1960 comedic chart-topper ‘My Old Man’s A Dustman’. The Temperance Seven hit #1 in 1961 with their salute to 1920s jazz ‘You’re Driving Me Crazy’ and to close, the instantly recognisable ‘The Stripper’ by David Rose – which topped the US chart in 1962.
 
The final disc opens with four massive instrumental hits: The Tornados became the first British group to top the US charts when ‘Telstar’ repeated its UK success, and The Shadows’ debut hit (away from Cliff) ‘Apache’ hit the top spot in 1960. Dave Brubeck’s ‘Take Five’ remains one of the most influential and biggest selling jazz tracks ever, and the smooth ‘Stranger On The Shore’ by Acker Bilk was 1962’s biggest selling single in the UK – and a US #1. Shirley Bassey enjoyed a #1 with ‘Reach For The Stars’, and at 14 years old Helen Shapiro became the UK’s youngest ever chart-topper with ‘You Don’t Know’ in 1961. Stylish pop from Connie Stevens and Linda Scott feature along with another appearance from Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin and Brian Hyland. Ear-worm smashes ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)’ and ‘Venus In Blue Jeans’ come ahead of 1960 #1 ‘Why’ from Anthony Newley, and 1961 chart champs Eden Kane and Frankie Vaughan. Petula Clark’s first #1 ‘Sailor’ leads into a pair of truly timeless collection closers: Patsy Cline hit the US Top 10 in 1961 with ‘Crazy’, a song that would become an enduringly popular ‘standard’ over the decades – and to finish, a stunning ballad ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ from Elvis Presley. Making his third appearance here with his tenth UK #1, one of an incredible 9 of them that hit the top during the three-year span of this collection.
 
NOW Yearbook Presents - The 60s - Volume 1: 1960-1962 – a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of the magical years of the early 60s.
 
Tracklist:
Disc 1
1. The Everly Brothers – Cathy’s Clown 
2. Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones 
3. Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never 
4. Bobby Darin – Beyond The Sea 
5. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Sherry 
6. Chris Montez - Let’s Dance  
7. Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again 
8. Little Eva – The Locomotion 
9. Dion - The Wanderer 
10. Del Shannon - Runaway  
11. Susan Maughan - Bobby's Girl 
12. Helen Shapiro – Walkin’ Back To Happiness 
13. Carole King – It Might As Well Rain Until September 
14. Neil Sedaka - Oh! Carol 
15. Billy Fury - Halfway To Paradise 
16. Gene Chandler - Duke Of Earl  
17. Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs - Stay 
18. Bruce Channel - Hey! Baby 
19. Brian Hyland - Sealed With A Kiss 
20. Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel) 
21. Bobby Vee - More Than I Can Say 
22. Buddy Holly - True Love Ways 
 
Disc 2 
1. Ben E. King – Stand By Me 
2. Dionne Warwick – Don’t Make Me Over 
3. The Drifters – Save The Last Dance For Me 
4. The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman 
5. The Crystals - He's A Rebel 
6. Shelley Fabares – Johnny Angel 
7. Connie Francis - Where The Boys Are 
8. Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry 
9. Jim Reeves - He'll Have To Go 
10. Patsy Cline & The Jordanaires - I Fall To Pieces 
11. The Shadows – Wonderful Land 
12. Frank Ifield – I Remember You 
13. Bobby Vinton - Roses Are Red (My Love) 
14. Matt Monro – Softly As I Leave You 
15. Percy Faith & His Orchestra - Theme From "A Summer Place" 
16. Johnny Mathis - Misty 
17. Danny Williams – Moon River (From “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”) 
18. Shirley Bassey – As Long As He Needs Me 
19. Timi Yuro - Hurt 
20. Dinah Washington - Mad About The Boy 
21. Etta James - At Last 
 
Disc 3
1. Chubby Checker - The Twist 
2. Dion - Runaround Sue 
3. Bobby Vee - Take Good Care Of My Baby 
4. Eddie Cochran - Three Steps To Heaven 
5. Cliff Richard & The Shadows – Please Don’t Tease 
6. Johnny Kidd & The Pirates – Shakin’ All Over 
7. The Marcels – Blue Moon 
8. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For  
9. Neil Sedaka - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do 
10. Ricky Valance – Tell Laura I Love Her 
11. Elvis Presley - Wooden Heart 
12. Pat Boone - Speedy Gonzales 
13. Connie Francis - Everybody's Somebody's Fool 
14. Clarence "Frogman" Henry - (I Don't Know Why) But I Do 
15. Karl Denver - Wimoweh (Mbube) 
16. Jimmy Jones - Handy Man 
17. Joe Brown & The Bruvvers - A Picture Of You   
18. Adam Faith – Poor Me 
19. Mike Sarne – Come Outside  
20. Lonnie Donegan & His Group - My Old Man's A Dustman   
21. The Temperance Seven – You’re Driving Me Crazy 
22. David Rose - The Stripper 
 
Disc 4
1. The Tornados - Telstar   
2. The Shadows – Apache 
3. Dave Brubeck - Take Five 
4. Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore 
5. Shirley Bassey – Reach For The Stars 
6. Connie Stevens – Sixteen Reasons 
7. Helen Shapiro – You Don’t Know 
8. Linda Scott - I've Told Every Little Star 
9. Roy Orbison - Crying 
10. The Everly Brothers – Walk Right Back 
11. Bobby Darin – Things 
12. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) 
13. Brian Hyland - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
14. Mark Wynter - Venus In Blue Jeans   
15. Anthony Newley - Why 
16. Eden Kane - Well I Ask You 
17. Frankie Vaughan - Tower Of Strength 
18. The Allisons - Are You Sure? 
19. Michael Holliday – Starry Eyed 
20. Petula Clark - Sailor   
21. Patsy Cline - Crazy 
22. Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love